Monday, December 26, 2005

Year end review

Fading star - Sourav Ganguly His last-minute bail-out at Nagpur last year won him few friends in the team, and wretched displays in both the Tests and one-dayers - he was suspended for the last two, after being docked for slow over-rates - against Pakistan further undermined his status. Greg Chappell was thought to be his favoured choice as coach but within two months of taking charge, he was building for the future - sans Ganguly. Last orders at Last Chance Saloon in Pakistan?

High point - Tendulkar's 35th Later, even he admitted that the four months spent on the sidelines after surgery for tennis elbow involved prolonged bouts of self-doubt and despair. Returning to the one-day side with an ebullient 93 against Sri Lanka at Nagpur, Tendulkar saved his best for year-end, and a wintry Delhi afternoon. When he clipped Chaminda Vaas to square leg to go past Sunil Gavaskar's tally of 34 Test centuries, a nation rose to acclaim a man who was bestowed iconic status even before he needed a twin-blade razor.